Air-gun.



B. L. BLAIR.

AIRGUN.

APPLICATION man APR.1`3,19|7.

l ,299,901 Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

m www, Y

n B. I.. BLAIR.

PatnteMpr. 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2.,/ r, M e ,vm bm. L n ..V/ e m 0 l* l m m N. m` I .J m oN ,..wm N n n V/ t um mm I .l n @n I v H I .Il #N @QN V om am mm @n I L N+ um. swmw N\ vm mm en@ om N mm .m m, .Tv II- I IIII M w IMQm n @n Q -II a n n. mm w n mm mm N+ ow I I .IIT w m.

' Leaasoi.

BENJAMIN I.. BLAIR, oF INDIANAPOLIS, INISIANA.

Aia-GUN,

specification of Letters Patent'.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application led April 18, 1917. n Serial Nev-.181390.

To all .whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN L. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Guns, of

z which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to guns for throwingl projectiles by the expansive force of compressed air', and the object is to provide lquicl,'simple, durable and reliable means for supplying compressed air to eject the projectile and for cutting off the air supply while the gun is being loaded and aimed.

A further object of Ithe invention is to provide an `air gun which can be red rapidly, with great force and accuracy.

I accomplish the above, and other objects.

which will hereinafter appear, by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichf Figure Lis-atop plan view of the breech of myy improved gun showing the air-control mechanism in position to shoot. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ofthe breechcnd of the projectile barrel and breech housing, on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1, showing the air-control mechanism in side elevation, cocked ready t0 shoot. vFig..3 is a longitudinal horizontal central section of .the air-control mechanism of Fig. 1, showing the projectile ready to be expelled, and the air-control mechanism ready to be moved to admit compressed air for the expulsionof said projectile, and Fig. 4 is a like section showing the mechanism at the instant of the ejection of the projectile. Fig. is a front view 'of the nozzle. I

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

d, sal adjustment of t The various parts of my gun are mounted on a base 5, which is pivoted in a yoke 6 insuring vertical adjustment of the gun, and the yoke is attached by a vertical pivot to a standard 7 held b a sub-base 8. `Univerlsie gun is thus provided for. Resilience in its yoke is afforded by springs 9 between the base and lateral arm` extensions 10. A projectile-.receiving and directing barrel 11 has longitudinal adjustment in uides 12, in which it is moved for the breec insertion ot a `projectile 13, preliminary to the expulsion of the latter. The

projectiles are placed in a magazine 14.

which discharges by gravityinto the breech of barrel 11 when the latter is moved forward to load. This 'movement to the barrel is imparted throughthe parallel bars 15, 15, with which it is connected as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rods passing through a guide 1,6, at the rear, being fastened to a cross-bar 17 which isjconnected by a rod 18, with a crank operated by a, swinging hand lever 19,

The barrel 11 in closed position is in con-` Ezct with an air cylinder 20, a tight joint in 20, t rough the cylinder-wall into the end of the barrel, Vfor the admission of compressed air into the barrel to eject the pro jectlle by its expansion back of -the latter,

is normally closed by a valve 22, which is Seated by the pressure of the air'in cylinder 20. When t opened by means which we will hereinafter describe, the inrushing air is given a whirle port 2O is momentarily assured by a gasket 21, and a port ing motion to twist thel movement of the pr'ojecti-le and cause it to`shoot straight, by the nozzle 23, having the series of curved blades as shown in Fi Q lhe valve 22 is mounted on a-rod 24, which passes from the cylinder 20 at the opposite side from the port 20BL which it controls',

through a comparatively long plug 25,' to

give the rod a good bearing, into a cylinder 26. At a suitable distance in the latter the rod is reduced in diameter to form a shoulder against which, on 'the rod, a piston 27, is mounted, and is locked against the shoulder by a nut on a threaded portion of the rod, as shown in Fig. 3. This piston, as is shown in Fig. 3, is formed of a pair of leathers separated by a `metal disk, with the edges of the leathers bent in opposite direc'- tions from each other over metal disks against their outer sides of suitabl'fv less dimaar than the bore of cyiindepgae. The diameter of the rod 24 is furthet reduced toward its /extension fifom the piston, and this last reduced part 26 is held/in the bore of a plug 28 which forms the outer head of the cylinderl 26. The plug`28 helps to guide the rod 24 and seat the valve 22, and quick action for the latter operation is aided by the introduction of a lielically coiled spring 29, introduced around the rod behollow stem 33 in longitudinally. `movement unseats valve 33a and causes hol- 20 and 26 has an air port 30, of small dimensions which is always open, and the plug 28 at the other end of the cylinder 26 has several ports 31, allowing more air to pass than through port 30. The bore of plug 28 is enlarged in its major outer length to form a chamber for the ports 31 to lead from, and in the extreme outer end of the bore. of this plug, which is there threaded a th1r d plug 32 is screwed. This plug has a longitudnial bore in which the hollow stem 33 of a valve 33n makes a sliding air tight fit.

A pipe 34, from a suitable source of c ompressed air, (not shown) dlscharges into the cylinder 20, and a branch 35, from said pipe discharges compressed air into the bore of the plug On the outer end of the plug 32. is a. cap 36, having a recess which 1s normally closed by the valve 33a on the h ol-A low stem 33, through the action of a sprlng 37, wrapped around the stem 33, and bearing between the valve 335 and a shoulder formed in the plug 32 by enlarging the outer end of its bore, as shown. This en-` largement affords ample 'air 'passage Iaround the valve 33a when it is in open positiony with spring 37 com-pressed, and the escape of air from the bore of the stem 33, and parts in communication therewith through the hollow plug 32, is afforded through hole 3S, in the walls of the hollow stem 33, and escape of air to atmosphere is had after passing the valve 33, through the recess in the cap 36, and thence to atmosphere through a hole 39.

On the other side of the valve from the` hollow stem 33, is a smaller solid stem 40, which passes out through an opening in the cap 36, and terminates in the path of a rotating cam 41. The cam is rotated by a spring 41a which is strained in cocking the gun, and is released by manipulating the trigger by the gunner, and rotated against the end of stem 40, pushing valve 33a low sleeve 33 to cut off the airpressure through branch 35, and enables the air coming against the piston 27 from cylinder 20, to move the pistonand open the port 20a into barrel 11. The lowering of pressure in cylinder 20 causes the valve 22 to be instantly closed by the spring 29, and the passing of the cam 41 releasing the stem 40, causes its'valve 33a to be closed bysprin 37. This" establishes communication wit pipe 35, admitting 'f compressed l air l against the piston 2 7,- whi hf assists 'spring 29 in closing the'valve 22.

- Mounted im axed iframe Aextension 42,

from the plug 32, is a shaft 43,",511" which are two lixed sheaves 44 and 4.5.- Mounted on the shaft 43 loosely is the cam 41 having a half-clutch 41on one side which engages with a half clutch 445 on the sheave 44,

fastened lat one end to the sheave 44, and passing over it to a spring 46a incased in a tube 46, carried by the moveable bar 17, is a. chain 47, and fastened to the sheave 45 and passing under it to a spring 48 which is fastened to the stationary head 49, 1s a chain 50. Integrally with the sheave 45 is a wheel 51, having a notch which engages a dog 52, pivoted to the frame 42, and pressed into engagement with the wheel 51 by a spring 52a shown in Fig. 2.

An arm of the dog 52 is connected by a wire 53 with a trigger 54, in a hollow handle 55, lat the head 49. The mechanism is set by the action of the tw springs48 and 46a in tube 46, when the bar 17 is moved forward by the hand lever 19 in loading the barrel 11. The stronger spring 46, in tube 46, rotates the shaft 43 and cam 41 when the dog 52 is released from its notch by the manipulation of the trigger 54.

While I have described my' invention with more or less minuteness as regards details of construction and arrangement, and as being embodied in certain precise forms, I do not desire to 'be limited thereto; unduly or any m'ore than is pointed outivin the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction and arrangement, the omission of immaterial elements and the substitution of equivalents as "circumstances may suggest or as necessity troduction of compressed air, a valve open-4 ing and closing the port, a. piston operatively connected with the valve, means for supplying compressed air to both sides of the piston to hold its connected valve closed, the means' on the side remote from the valve having a port toatmosphere, and means to open and close said last port and simultaneously close and open the compressed air supply against the rear side of the piston comprising a manually 'rotated cam and a stem projecting into the path of the cam.

2. In an air gun, the combination of a projectile barrel having a port for the introduction of compressed air, a valve opening and closing the port, a piston operatively connected with the valve, means for supplying compressed air to both sides 0f the Apiston to hold its connected valve closed, the means on the side remote from the piston comprising a spring actuated cam.

manually operated means to load the projectile into the barrel and to set the 'spring to operate the cam, manually operated means release thel springyjand a stem4 projectinI-g into the path of the cam.

an air gun, the 'comblnation' of a` projectile barrel having a port. for Vthe introduction of ,compressed a1r, a valve opening andclosing the rport, a piston operatively oonnected with the valve, means for supplying compressed air to both sides of the. piston to hold' its connected valve.

ing and closing the port, a --piston operathe valve having a port to atmosphere,` a'

tively connected with the valve, means for supplying compressed air to both lsides of the piston to" hold its connected valve closedfthe means on thevside remote from valve to close and open said port having a hollow stem which closesfthe compressed air supply against the rear side of the pis-1 ton when said port is open to atmosphere,

said hollow stem havingv an opening back of the valveto said port to atmosphere when the valve is open, and a spring to initially seat 'the last valve. Y,

5. In an air gun, the combination of a projectile barrel having a port for the introductionof'compressed air,l a valve open- 'projectile barrel having a port' for the ining and closing the a pistonoperatively connected with the valve, means for supplying compressed air to both -sides of the piston toA hold its connected valvel closed, the means on the side remote from the valve having a port to atmosphere, a valve to close and open said port having a hollow stem which closes the compressed air supply against the rear side of the piston when said port is open to atmosphere, said hollow stem having an opening back of the valve to said port tofatmosphere when the valve is open, and a spring to initially seat the valve and manually operated unseat it.

6. In an air gun, the combination of a port for the introduction of compressed air, a valve openand closing the port, a piston operatively connected .with the valve, means for supplying compressed air to both Sides of the piston t0 hold its connected valve closed, the means on the side remote from the valve having a. port to atmosphere, a valve to close and open saidy port having a hollow stem which closes the compreed airsu'pply against the rear side of the piston-when said means to v ort is' open to atmosphere, said hollow stem` aving lan opening back of the valve to said port to atmosphere when the valve lis open, a manually actuated cam, and a stem on the other side of s aid last valve from the hollow lstem terminatm'g 1n the path of the cam.

In witness whereof: I have hereunto set my hand and seal -at Indianapolis, Indiana,

this 22nd day of March, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

BENJAMIN L. BLAIR. [1.. 5.] y 

